


Watch Me

by ThatKeithisabottom



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Artist Keith, Brief one-sided Zarkon/Keith, Eventual Smut, Gamer Lance, M/M, References to Transphobia, Slow Burn, Some Afab Language, Trans Male Character, Zarkon's name in this is Zack, trans keith
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-07
Updated: 2018-12-07
Packaged: 2019-09-13 12:52:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,546
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16892961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThatKeithisabottom/pseuds/ThatKeithisabottom
Summary: Humans have always been a creature of habit. Following the same routines every day, doing almost the exact same thing over and over again- sometimes without even realizing it. And when you upset that balance- When the routine gets disrupted, it tends to go horribly wrong.Every once in a while, though… It goes perfectly right.





	Watch Me

Humans have always been a creature of habit. Following the same routines every day, doing almost the exact same thing over and over again- sometimes without even realizing it. And when you upset that balance- When the routine gets disrupted, it tends to go horribly wrong. 

 

Every once in a while, though… It goes perfectly right. 

 

\-----------

 

Keith has long since gotten used to triple checking everything before he starts his shows. 

Yup, the music is playing, a soft beat that puts him at ease and helps him relax back into his computer chair. His art program is open on his computer screen, and everything seems to be set up correctly. He does have a headset on with a mic attached to it, though he doesn’t have the mic on yet, doesn’t turn it on until he needs it.

 

It usually takes a good thirty minutes after he starts his streams for people to start filtering in, anyway. Plenty of time for him to at least get a drawing going. The blank white canvas on his screen almost mocks him, his brain struggling to find ideas of what to draw for this particular stream. 

 

He finally comes up with  _ something _ . He’s gonna try to just draw some random character. Something simple and cute to make sure he has a video to put up that weekend when he usually does. Keith’s not quite sure if he’ll like it yet or not, but he’s going to try. The recording starts, and he glances over towards the second monitor to make sure everything’s streaming properly before he begins to draw, cautiously sketching out a figure on the previously bare program. 

 

Keith slips easily into a more relaxed state, his legs pulled up into the chair with him as the light scratch of his pen moving over his tablet’s surface manages to slip under the headset to reach his ears.  It’s just a usual day for Keith, considering that he usually streams every day during the week. It’s a schedule he’s been following near-religiously for years, one he started when he was trying to pull himself out of that post-high school ‘I’m an adult now’ depression. 

 

He’ll sometimes be working on specific videos to post later to his Youtube channel, though the streams themselves are always more relaxed and open- Sometimes Keith will even actually talk into his mic and answer different questions he’s asked, or remark on jokes made in the chat of his stream. 

 

Today he doesn't, though. Today his focus is entirely on the drawing he’s working on- it’s become one of the commissions he’s been needing to work on, so at least he’s getting some actual work done. He’d been putting off doing the art itself for a while, but he did need to go grocery shopping soon, and his bank account was running a little low now that rent had been paid for the month. 

 

There’s a moment of pause as he grabs for his phone, opening up his emails and searching for that reference image he’d been sent, keeping it open as he draws to make sure he’s doing everything correctly. Just another normal day for Keith, really. Nothing particularly special. 

  
  


\---------------

  
  


Keith manages to finish the piece just in time for him to get off the computer at his usual time, slipping his signature into the art itself before he saves the file. He ends the stream before he actually emails the person who had commissioned him, and within the hour, he’s got money in his account. 

 

There’s the usual warmth of pride he gets when the number goes up. The sort of pride that comes from making money his way, rather than being stuck behind a register all day or stocking shelves through the night. That is, until he remembers the sad state of his nearly empty fridge, and knows that money will go towards groceries. 

 

He lets out a deep sigh and stretches out, his arms above his head as his back arches, a few satisfying pops echoing through his body at the action. “Mm… Need to go get dressed… Should go shopping,” he mumbled to himself, used to talking into the open air of his little apartment. He’d lived alone for a good while now, though sometimes the emptiness of it got to him. 

 

Keith had grown up being shuffled from foster family to foster family, and really hadn’t spent much time alone during his childhood, so while at first he’d been more than happy to finally live alone- after a while it almost became awkward, reminded Keith of how few friends he had- how little his family was. 

 

His phone seemed to decide right then to ring, making Keith jolt in surprise and raise an eyebrow as Shiro’s name flashed across his screen. Speaking of family… 

 

“Aren’t you at work?” Keith asked the second he answered, pulling his headset off and setting it on his desk so that he could press the phone to his ear. He set to work saving everything and closing down all of the programs he’d been using, smiling slightly at the picture on his desktop- A picture of him and Shiro during last year’s Christmas.   
  


They’d both gotten ‘ugly’ sweaters, though Keith’s pretty sure he’s still got his in the closet, a dark sweater sporting the phrase ‘Happy Holigays’. It had made him laugh when he first saw it, and a couple of weeks later it arrived in the mail.

 

“Break,” Shiro replied gruffly, sounding a little strained, “Are you going out today?”   
  
Keith thought about that for a moment, sighing and eventually nodding his head, despite the fact that he knew Shiro couldn’t see him doing so. 

  
“I was thinking about it. Need to go shopping. Do you need something?” He asked, pushing himself away from the desk before he got up, moving around his room as he dug through dresser drawers for his binder, tossing it onto the bed before grabbing a clean shirt and some jeans. He couldn’t exactly bum around in a hoodie and pajama pants all day, no matter how badly he wanted to. 

 

“Coffee and lunch? Please? I’ve been craving food from that little diner we usually go to, and I don’t think I’m going to have a long enough lunch to go all the way over there,” Shiro nearly begged, and Keith couldn’t help but snort, nodding his head a little.    
  
“Yeah, I guess I can do that. You better not be trying to set me up with that guy that works the front desk again- I already told both of you, I’m not interested,” he said playfully, turning the speaker on and setting his phone down so that he could still talk to Shiro while he changed, pulling his hoodie off before tugging his binder over his head. 

 

“You’re the best,” He hears echo from the phone, a smile tugging at his lips, “ And I promise- Not trying to play matchmaker today. I’m just exhausted from a late night and starving.” There’s something almost fond in the way he mentions how tired he is, and Keith immediately places the cause of that ‘late night’.   
  
“Adam?” Keith asked, knowing that Shiro heard the teasing tone in his voice, especially considering the flustered noises that filtered through the phone, before a faint  mumble.    
  
“Maybe.”

“Ugh. You gays and your butt sex,” Keith snorted, though he knew that sometimes… he was kind of jealous of just how happy Shiro had been since he’d found Adam. He definitely seemed to be in a better mood lately, and if he was getting laid… Good for him. Shiro deserves someone that makes him happy. 

 

Keith, however, didn’t need anyone. He was perfectly fine living by himself in an apartment that echoed when he talked in the living room. He was fine falling asleep by himself, and doing everything himself. He didn’t need another person to be there, or someone to go out on dates with. He didn’t really need to talk to anyone, if he was lonely, he could just talk to people in the chat during the streams. He wasn’t lonely. There was a difference between being alone and being lonely. 

Keith Kogane absolutely wasn’t lonely, and he did  _ not  _ want a boyfriend. 

 

...Except that sometimes, he kind of did. 

  
  


\-------------

 

Shiro got off the phone soon after that to head back to work, and Keith finished getting ready pretty quickly, running a brush through his hair to smooth out the tangle of dark locks before he went off to get his shoes from their usual place by the door. Alright-   
  
Wallet? In his pocket. Phone? Other pocket. Keys? He’s got them in his hand. Headphones were already settled around his neck. Did he really need anything else? He gave his apartment one last look-over from the front door, grabbing his jacket and tugging it on. No, He had everything.   
  
It wouldn’t have been the first time Keith had forgotten something, though. He’d come home more than once to Shiro pacing in his living room, and gotten lectures on making sure he had his phone on him- since Shiro played the ‘protective older brother’ role as though he actually was Keith’s older brother. 

 

Keith felt a faint smile tugging at his lips as he stepped out into the hallway, making sure to lock his apartment door before shoving the keys into his pocket. He never left the door unlocked when he left the apartment- hell, he kept it locked when he was  _ in _ the apartment. This was a shady enough side of town, and people in the building had been robbed before. Keith wasn’t taking that chance.    
  


He took off, then, making his way down the stairs and shivering a little at the cool winter air that snuck through his jacket. He silently thanked every higher power that he finally had his own car, rather than needing to take the bus everywhere he went- It was so much more convenient to be able to make a thirty minute shopping trip, rather than a three hour one with hands full of bags. 

 

The car sputtered a little before it started, and Keith let out a breath of relief when the heater kicked on, buckling his seatbelt and turning to look behind him as he backed up out of his parking space, before taking off towards the diner closer to his apartment to go grab lunch for Shiro. 

 

Within half an hour he had two styrofoam containers set on the passenger seat (The owner of the diner- A sweet old lady that practically adored Keith- had insisted that he take some food for himself as well. She always liked to say that he looked like he never ate enough).

The drive into the main part of town was a quick one, though it always riled Keith up, considering that other people apparently needed to-    
  
“Learn how to fucking drive! Jesus-”    
  
He hissed the words out as someone suddenly cut him off, nearly making him crash into their rear end. Keith was quick to give the horn a short honk, easily returning the middle finger that was flashed back at him from the driver side window.    
  
“Dumbasses,” He mumbled, more than relieved when he finally pulled into a parking lot. His car might be a literal ‘beater with a heater’, but that didn’t mean that he felt like playing bumper cars with a bunch of idiots who had no idea how to use their fucking turn signals. 

 

Keith parked in front of one of their local grocery stores, heading inside. He grabbed one of the smaller hand baskets, since he really just needed to get more conditioner- and maybe some almond milk while he was here, considering this store had it for the cheapest out of any other place in town. A man’s gotta save some money where he can. 

 

Keith slipped his headphones over his ears and hummed faintly to himself along with the tune of the music playing as he walked through the aisles. He was distracted, but he was absolutely aware of every single person around him, glancing up towards the man at the other end of the aisle every few seconds just to keep an eye on him.    
  
Sure, some people might call Keith paranoid, but he was trying to keep himself safe. He didn’t want to be caught off guard if someone did try anything. It wouldn’t have been the first time that someone had stopped Keith to ask him something that  _ really _ wasn’t any of their damn business.    
  


He’s read more than enough articles to know that people are fucking crazy- especially when it comes to things that they don’t agree with- like the very existence of people like Keith. 

 

He was quick to grab what he needed before he moved along, going to the registers and soon finishing there. Keith stopped by the little coffee stand near the front doors on his way out, grabbing Shiro’s usual coffee order, as well as some new fancy thing for himself. Hey, He deserved to treat himself to something so sugary it would rot his teeth out every once in a while. 

The drive to Shiro’s office was much less irritating, and Keith tried to ignore the way the guy behind the counter seemed to get nervous the second he stepped through the door. Really, he couldn’t blame him. Keith had shot him down pretty harshly last time he’d been in here. 

 

Keith made his way over to the counter, bag of food in one hand with the little cardboard tray to hold their coffees in the other. Leaning against the counter casually, Keith looked absolutely out of place in this fancy business office’s lobby. Especially while he himself was wearing torn jeans and a shirt that was obviously a few sizes too large for him, looking like he was coming straight from a photoshoot for Hot Topic or some other vague emo/punk store.   
  
“Shiro gone to lunch yet?” He asked, raising an eyebrow and slowly taking in the other man’s appearance. He practically squeaked out a quick yes, reaching out for the phone. Ugh. This was the main reason Keith had turned the guy down. Too mousy for his tastes. Keith preferred more confident guys- but not narcissistic. Then it just got annoying. 

 

“Don’t worry about it,” he said, setting the coffee down on the counter surprisingly quick and reaching out over the counter to rest his hand over the other man’s, shooting him a playful grin, “He’s expecting me. I’ll just head up like usual.”   
  
There was a moment of flustered sputtering and attempts to start a sentence, before he simply nodded, setting the phone back in it’s cradle.    
  
“Yeah- Right. Of course,” He said, and Keith couldn’t help but roll his eyes. Way too shy and mousy for his tastes. He nodded though, giving the guy an almost sickly sweet smile and picking up their coffees again and took off towards the elevator. Practically feeling the eyes on his back, Keith couldn’t help but grin slightly as he stepped into the elevator and hit the button for Shiro’s floor, settling back against one of the walls to simply wait. The mousy guy seemed to be caught staring at him with a flushed red face until the doors slipped shut.    
  
The elevators here always seemed to take ages, though they soon opened to the much more familiar hallway. A blond woman called out a greeting as he headed back towards Shiro’s office, no one even questioning why he was there. They were used to seeing ‘Shiro’s younger brother’ in the office enough that no one really ever bothered to question why he was there. 

 

\-----------

 

“You really like teasing that poor guy, don’t you?” Shiro asked, laughing slightly as Keith warned him that the guy downstairs might have spontaneously combusted. He shrugged a little, relaxing back into one of the plush chairs in Shiro’s office. He opened his box of food once he was settled in, before he dipped a fry in ketchup and popped it into his mouth, biting back a grin.    
  
“It wasn’t on purpose. He’s just so… Shy. You would think he’s never even like… jerked off or something. Too easy to fluster,” He huffed, making Shiro snort a little halfway through a sip of his coffee with little huff of “Keith!”   
  
“What? I’m not wrong! I was worried he might have like. Made a mess of himself when I touched his hand! You know that’s not my type, Shiro,” Keith mumbled, popping another fry into his mouth before he took a sip of his own drink, sugar practically coating his tongue. Yeah, these things were definitely a splurge, for the health of both Keith himself as well as his wallet.     
  
“Yeah, your type is assholes who don’t treat you well. Gavin’s a good kid,” the larger man rolled his eyes, taking a bite of his sandwich and letting out a pleased little sigh. Usually that sort of comment would leave Keith bristling. But he’s got to admit, Shiro has a point. 

But it’s not like he goes out in search of guys that are going to be dicks! A lot of them seem really nice or really into him at first, but by the time they make it out of the bar, or the messages get a little more heated… They either really hate what Keith’s got going on, or they’re  _ way _ too into it. And that right there is just a major turn off for Keith.

 

He may have different parts than most guys, but it doesn’t mean that he can be treated like he’s some sort of… oddity. 

 

“No offense, Shiro. But I don’t want a ‘good kid’,” he sighed and set his drink down, crossing one of his legs over the other, his lap making an almost sort of table for the styrofoam box holding his food, “I want a guy that’s not gonna treat me like I’m some kind of...freak. But one that’s gonna get me out of the house and show me a good time. Keep me up late at night,” he said the last part teasingly, giving Shiro a pointed look.    
  
“Adam’s a good guy. You can have a good guy who’s good in bed too, Keith,” he said, huffing a little and focusing on his food, his cheeks now flushed a faint shade of pink at the mention of his lack of sleep. He definitely didn’t look tired, though. If anything, he was practically glowing with that look of happiness coupled with the obvious other influence.    
  
“Just saying- You’re lucky. The two don’t usually come together,” Keith laughed, sighing and letting his head rest back against the back of the seat he was sitting in, “Besides, it’s not like I even want a boyfriend. I’m perfectly happy how things are,” He mumbled, though the look Shiro was giving him made it clear that he didn’t believe one second of it. 

 

Shiro knew him better than anyone in the universe, and they both knew that he could tell when Keith was lying. 

 

\--------

 

Keith doesn’t want to draw right now. Well. He does. He  _ needs to _ . But His hands don’t want to. It’s like his entire body is rebelling at the thought of doing any sort of art.  He spends nearly an hour staring at a blank screen, before he pulls out his sketchbook, and goes on to stare at  _ that _ for at least fifteen minutes, before he just gives up. 

 

The next attempt at productivity is to edit. He’s got a couple of streams recorded that he could edit and speed up to post to his Youtube channel. He could actually get some work done and be ahead by a few weeks to avoid that stressful crunch of having something due the next day but having nothing recorded. 

 

That really only gives him an hour or two of work, though, before he’s got them edited and scheduled. Keith’s back to staring at a blank screen. He looks at his list of commissions that he needs to finish, but none of them  _ really _ catch his interest right now. His mind just really doesn’t want to be productive today, does it? 

 

Letting out an annoyed groan, he pushed himself away from his desk, and goes to flop onto his bed. He bundles himself up in his blankets and surrounds himself with pillows, snuggling into them until he’s warm, comfy, amd he doesn’t currently feel like jumping out of his bedroom window. 

 

And yet, something still nags at him. He should be drawing. He has commissions to finish, but now that he’s retreated into the Blanket Cocoon… He’s likely not going to be leaving it until tomorrow. He usually tends to stay wrapped up until he needs food, or to go to the bathroom… Or if a package he’s expecting arrives. And he’s already eaten- He’s not expecting any mail today.. So in the cocoon he stays. 

 

He ends up scrolling through Youtube randomly on his phone, looking for anything that jumps out at him- anything that he might be even somewhat interested in watching. He usually ends up watching other art videos, or will sometimes find himself getting caught in the trap of ‘incredibly satisfying’ videos. He’s already seen every single one of the videos that have been posted by the people he’s subscribed to, so really he’s stuck just… looking. There’s one video in particular that catches his eye. It’s a gaming video, and really, he’s not used to ever watching those. 

 

It’s made by the same person that he usually watches when his tablet stops working, they’re doing some sort of gaming collab with another person, a guy that  _ definitely  _ catches Keith’s eye. He taps on the video before he can stop himself, snuggling further into his blankets as he settles in to watch. 

 

It’s… surprisingly nice for a gaming video, actually. Keith could never stand those guys who scream and yell through their entire video, or find some way to add weird effects that didn’t quite make sense. It was… much calmer. They were almost strategic in their game playing, actually talking to one another and making little comments that Keith couldn’t keep himself from smiling at. 

 

It didn’t help that the new guy was...absolutely gorgeous. Like  _ Hot as Hell _ . Tanned caramel skin and the brightest blue eyes, practically sparkling with mischief. That smug little grin that tugged at his lips when he told the worst possible jokes. Keith would climb that boy like a tree in an instant. Come on. Who doesn’t watch a person’s videos just because they’re hot?

 

The thought made him flush slightly, shifting a little as he tried to get comfortable again. The video soon ended, and Keith found himself tapping another, just moving over to the brunette man’s channel to watch through his videos. He always seemed to be upbeat and chipper, though it was more in a… natural, friendly way. Much easier to handle then someone screaming the second the video started. 

 

Keith smiled a little, letting out a deep sigh through his nose as he settled in to binge watch more than a few of this person’s videos. Blue, he called himself.Which made sense. Not even Keith used his real name in his streams. He actually tended to just go by Red, which seemed… a little stupid at the time, but to know that someone else gave a color as their nickname? 

 

It made it seem a little less stupid. 

 

Keith tapped the subscribe button, and not even a minute later his phone ‘ding’ed with a new notification. 

 

**CubanBlueSniper just posted a new video!**

 

\--------

 

A week later Keith ends up sketching Blue during one of his streams. He’s relaxing back in his computer chair with his tablet in his lap, humming slightly to himself as he sketches. Keith managed to finish another one of his commissions, though he hasn’t really gotten any work done past that. He really needs to get on it, but for some reason his mind is fixated on the online gamer he’s spent the last week watching. 

 

Some of Blue’s jokes are a little obnoxious and rub him the wrong way, though for the most part… he really likes watching the other man’s videos. Even has one playing off to the side on his phone while he draws. Of course, only he can see that. The only thing that the people who watch his stream are seeing is the screen of his computer, where he’s drawing the youtuber he’s currently watching. 

 

No one seems to know who it is, even as Keith starts coloring and filling in all of the details. It’s kind of reassuring. Knowing people on the internet, they’d probably go straight to Blue and let him know that this is the third time this week Keith’s unintentionally begun to sketch out the other man’s features, before he very quickly erases things and turns the drawing into something else.    
  
He can’t help that it’s just what he wants to draw- he’s been watching tons of the man’s videos lately anyway, it’s just… the first thing his mind thinks of. At least no one recognizes who it is that he keeps starting to draw, and if they do? No one’s said anything to him or in the chat about it.    
  
Keith soon finishes his current little drawing of Blue, sitting back and admiring his work for a moment before he glances towards the brief list of commissions that he needs to work on. Might as well finish something that will help out when it comes to paying rent…   
  
He spends the rest of the day working, drawing ildly and occasionally leaving little messages in the chat of his stream as he draws, just answering general questions or sometimes interjecting his own little comments into what the people watching him draw. He ends the stream at about eight o’clock at night, excusing himself to go make dinner.    
  
Keith’s apartment is deadly silent as he pads barefoot into the kitchen, tugging the fridge door open and grabbing a bottled tea from the door, as well as the cheese and butter. Bread is tugged out of the pantry next, and he sets to work on making a couple of grilled cheese sandwiches, humming to himself to try and fill the air. 

The sounds are almost deafening. The clatter of ceramic as he gets a plate from the cupboard, the creak his couch gives as Keith drops down into it, food soon balancing on his lap as Keith eagerly digs into his food. He hadn’t even realized that he hadn’t eaten lunch until this exact moment, his stomach practically demanding the food that’s already in his hand. 

 

It’s silent as Keith looks at his phone, goes through his emails. He reads the comments on his latest video, responds to a couple. Copy and pastes the information of which program and brushes he uses to the fifth comment this week that asks what settings he uses. 

 

His apartment is dead quiet, and even putting on one of Blue’s videos and settling in to watch doesn’t quite bring enough noise or presence into the room to make it feel comfortable.     
  
It’s the third time this week Keith considers getting a pet. 

 

\-----------

 

Now, Keith had no idea why Shiro was so keen to get him to meet new people. He really didn’t need to go out to parties or be that social, he wasn’t that type of person, anyway. The last party he had gone to was… like junior year of high school, and he’d sat in the corner doodling on some napkins until Shiro had agreed to come pick him up and take him home. 

 

He had Shiro, and Adam was starting to get pretty fond of him… and he saw his doctor to check in on his hormones every six months! That had to count for something, right?   
  
Apparently it did not, considering that Shiro is currently going through his closet in an attempt to find  _ anything _ that would be appropriate for the party is company is hosting. Which, for some reason, both he and Adam had been invited to. Adam was understandable, but Keith?    
  
His eyes narrowed at the older man accusingly, knowing that he was the reason that Keith was being allowed to go. Expected to go, now. He really didn’t need to snoop too intensely to figure that one out. He let out a huff as he dropped down to sit on the edge of his bed, crossing his arms over his chest. It was borderline childish, and he knew it, but Keith really didn’t get why  _ he _ had to go.   
  
“Remind me  _ why  _ I have to go to this thing again,” Keith watched as Shiro pulled a shirt out from the few hanging in his closet, wrinkling his nose at it before putting it back and looking at another. That’s probably the third time he’s done that in the last ten minutes. Apparently Keith needs to go shopping for new clothes. Maybe when he finishes all of his commissions and actually has some spare cash.    
  
“Because I want you to. And you’re my family. And you need to make some friends so you’re not cooped up in your apartment all the time,” Shiro insisted, finally settling on a deep red sweater, holding it up for a moment before he went and laid it out on the bed next to Keith. 

 

“I have friends,” Keith mumbled, and Shiro just gave him a  _ look.  _ __   
__   
“Keith, you and I both know you spend ninety-five percent of your time in your bedroom either on your computer or in bed, and the other five percent you spend with me and Adam. We love you. But would you really want to go to a party with me and my boyfriend?” He asked, and Keith felt a little bit of a frown tugging at his lips.    
  
“Why does that sound like you’re trying to break up with me?” he asked, pulling his hair back into a slight ponytail as he tugged his t shirt off. He didn’t really care if Shiro saw him in his binder- They’d known each other for years, and Shiro had actually been the one to buy Keith his first binder. It was just natural, “Besides. I’m already trying to get out of going to a party with you and your boyfriend, aren’t I?”   
  
Shiro’s features softened slightly, and he let out a slow breath, “I’m not trying to break up with you, Keith. I just.. Think you’re lonely, as much as you and I both know you’ll never admit it. Who wouldn’t be lonely, by yourself in an apartment like this?” he pointed out, glancing over towards Keith briefly as he tugged the sweater on, smoothing it out and glancing at himself in the mirror.    
  
“...This makes it obvious I have tits,” Keith mumbled, eyeing the slight curve of his chest from the side, hating the fact that there was still somewhat of a bulge there, despite having his binder on. He almost immediately moved to tug at the bottom hem to try and take it off, though Shiro’s hand quickly stopped him, shaking his head. 

 

“It doesn’t. You’re just looking for it. But here, let’s make it a little more comfy for you,” He said after a moment, slipping from the room. He came back a few seconds later, pressing something into Keith’s hands. “Put that on too.”   
  
“Really?” Keith’s eyes went wide, looking up at Shiro in shock. A knowing little smile tugged at his lips, and he nodded. Keith immediately tugged the ‘well-loved’ leather jacket on, practically grinning. It was a little broad in the shoulders for him, considering that it was Shiro’s, and generally a bit big for his smaller build, but Keith was ecstatic all the same.    
  


“I’ve been begging you to let me wear this thing for years. Why the sudden change of heart?” He asked, looking over his shoulder towards Shiro as he tugged the zipper up halfway, and pressed his hands into the pockets.    
  
“Hey. I gotta spoil my little brother every once in a while, don’t I?” He asked, leaning against the door frame into Keith’s room with an affectionate little grin tugging at his lips. Keith’s feels something in him burn a little warmer, unable to help the small smile tugging at his lips. 

 

“Thanks, Shiro.”   
  


“Don’t worry about it. Thank me by not wearing those old jeans with the holes in them. You know which ones I’m talking about.”   
  
Keith does. He knows exactly which pair Shiro is talking about. He wears them anyway. 

  
  
\--------------

  
  


They went to go pick Adam up before making their way back to Shiro’s office. Apparently they were just going to be holding this fancy shin-dig there, though the second they walked in, Keith could see the appeal of it. He’d never really stopped to actually look at the building itself, though the way lights had been strung up, and the chairs that usually sat in the lobby were pulled into positions that made more sense- more for actually being close to other people rather than avoiding someone while you waited for your appointment.    
  
It almost made the place seem… cozy. Which was weird to say about Shiro’s workplace, since usually the place made him uncomfortable, with how prim and proper everyone usually was, but this? This was something that made him relax a little.    
  
He’d never realized how many of these faces he’d recognized until tonight, as well. The mousy guy- Gavin, was over by the tables stacked  _ full _ of food, pouring himself some kind of punch from a big bowl. The blond woman who usually greeted him every time he went to visit Shiro in his office, Ashley, is talking to another woman off in a corner. It’s actually kind of… nice.

 

Keith seems to immediately begin to relax, his shoulders dropping a little from their tensed up position. He wanders away before too long, making his way towards the table to see what they have to offer. He ends up grabbing a few small finger foods, briefly wondering just how much he’d be able to get away with shoving into the pockets of Shiro’s jacket. 

 

He definitely wished he’d ever had this much food in his apartment- if his place would even be able to hold it all.    
  
“Hey,” Keith hears from his side, and a plastic cup is being offered out to him. His eyes drift from the cup to the hand holding it, before focusing on the face of the hand’s owner- Gavin, “Thirsty? The punch is surprisingly good- No one’s spiked it yet,” he jokes, looking more relaxed than he had been last time Keith had seen him. 

 

And admittedly, he looks kind of good, when he’s not stumbling over himself. Keith offers a little smile, taking the cup and glancing up towards Gavin’s face. He looks pleased- almost hopeful. Keith grins, making a point to give the contents of the cup a little sniff before he takes a small drink.    
  
“That’s a shame,” he jokes back, and Gavin seems to relax further, laughing with a brief flash of white teeth. It makes Keith feel a little more at ease, knowing that the guy wasn’t going to straight out ask him out again. Not this time, at least.    
  
“You’re here with Shiro and Adam, I’m assuming?” Gavin asks, and Keith nods a little in response, letting out a slow breath and looking back over towards the couple. They’re leaning in close to each other, practically lost in each other as they talk amongst themselves. All Keith can see is Adam’s face, and he looks absolutely… smitten. A rush of jealousy goes through Keith’s system, though he pushes it back. 

 

Shiro says something to Adam that he’s not quite paying attention to, before he’s heading across the room to speak with someone that definitely looks like he’s the boss. At least, Shiro’s boss.    
  
Keith’s just surprised by how… unexpected Shiro’s boss is. He’d been expecting some little old man, though this guy towers over even Shiro, with broad shoulders. It’s more than a little obvious why he chose Shiro- A young, fit man- to be his successor. 

 

The man, he believes his name is Zack, looks towards Keith over Shiro’s shoulder. He seems to fixate on the younger man, giving him a pointedly slow once over as he takes in Keith’s appearance, before finally seeming to focus on Shiro again. He say something, and before he knows it, Shiro is turning to gesture for him to come over.    
  
A weird feeling settles into the pit of Keith’s stomach- not a good one. 

 

“Really wishing it was spiked now,” He jokes, turning to briefly give Gavin what he hoped came across as an apologetic smile, finishing off his cup and setting it aside. 

 

“Good luck,” he hums in response, waving Keith off. Good luck? Was kind of response was that? THat weird feeling only seems to grow, and as he steps over towards Shiro and the older man, he can practically feel Zack’s eyes on him. He glances up, and the man is eyeing him in a way that could only be described as  _ hungry _ , immediately making him ten times more uncomfortable. 

 

“Keith, You keep pictures of your art on your phone, right?” An affirmative nod, and Shiro is practically grinning, “Why don’t you show Zack? I mentioned it to him, and he definitely seems interested in seeing some of your work.”   
  
“Uh. Right, Yeah. Okay,” Keith shifted to tug his phone out of his pocket, tapping a few things before he brings up the album of his own drawings, offering it out for Shiro’s boss- Zack- to take a look. The way Shiro had said that definitely had dollar signs floating about in his head. If the man wanted to commission him…    
  
“These are good,” Zack finally says, his voice low and deep and seeming to dig into Keith’s very core itself, like a predator digging its claws into him, “I assume you do this for a living?” The very question Keith had been waiting to hear, though for some reason it just makes him feel like he’s going to squirm, rather than accepting the thought of taking this man’s money. Who knows what he’d end up being roped into.    
  
“Sometimes. But I’m currently working on finishing up my last batch of commissions, and they likely won’t be done for another month or two at least,” Keith said honestly, picking slightly at the edge of his phone’s case after the device is handed back to him. The black rubber of the outer cover is already worn and tearing in some places because of this particular nervous habit of his.    
  
“A shame. I would have liked to see if you were capable of doing a piece that I’ve wanted done for some time,” He hums, either completely unaware of how uncomfortable Keith is- or entirely aware of it and trying to push his buttons despite that. Maybe he wanted Keith to feel uneasy and uncomfortable, “It would certainly pay well- Even better if you dropped your current work list to work on it. I can assure you that I’d be more than willing to give you anything you asked for,” Zack hums, the last bit tinted with a suggestive air that Keith doesn’t miss.    
  
The words make him bristle, irritation blocking his throat and making him swallow hard. He shakes his head, taking a bit of a step back, putting some much needed space between the two of them. It helps lift the heavy feeling that Keith hadn’t even noticed had been pressing on his shoulders.    
  
“I wouldn’t do that, regardless of pay. I told those people I would do their pieces, and I fully intend to,” he said sharply, annoyance clear in his tone.    
  
“Pity,” Zack said simply, giving Keith another one of those slow once-overs that he refused to shy back from. He wasn’t going to let this creep know that he’d gotten under his skin. He simply crossed his arms over his chest, glancing towards Shiro.

 

“I’m going outside. I believe this conversation is over,” he said simply, turning on his heel and heading towards the front doors again. He didn’t miss the look Shiro gave him, watching him leave with a look of shock, as though he’d grown a second head. 

 

Keith pushed his way out the front doors, the cool evening air soothing his aching lungs. He sighed, heading down the stairs and moving to lean back against the building, breathing out slow and deep. He closed his eyes and tipped his head back to rest against the brick wall behind him. What the hell had even just happened? Had he really just been checked out- and propositioned- by Shiro’s boss? With him standing right there? How had Shiro not noticed any of that?

 

It was a million times nicer out here, where he wasn’t being pressured or so openly stared at.  Quiet and peaceful, and far away from the intense gaze of Shiro’s boss- at least he didn’t feel like he was being mentally undressed, now. He could feel himself relaxing, breathing out a sigh. At least now he he could catch a quick break before-   
  
“What  _ was  _ that?”   
  
Fuck. Before  _ that _ .    
  


Keith lifted his head again, looking over towards Shiro and raising an eyebrow in response to the question.    
  
“What was what?” he asked simply, trying to play stupid. Though Shiro saw right through him. Always had been able to read him way too well. He really needed to work on that.    
  
“You know what, Keith. What just happened in there?” Shiro questioned, moving to lean against the wall next to him, crossing his arms over his chest, “He was wanting to buy art from you, you know. It would have been good money.”   
  
“I don’t want his money,” Keith snapped after a moment, feeling like something was crawling all over him. He turned to glance back up towards the building, not surprised to see Zack talking to someone near the window, though his gaze was focused down at Keith, “He creeps me out. He keeps looking at me like he wants to eat me.”   
  
“I really doubt he’s going to eat you, Keith,” Shiro snorted, rolling his eyes a little and finally standing back a bit, “Maybe you’re overreacting?” Keith made a faint noise of disagreement, hesitating a moment before he pushed himself away from the wall. So Shiro really had been entirely unaware of that whole scene? Christ- 

 

“I’m going home,” he said faintly, shoving his hands into the pocket of Shiro’s jacket. Forget the fact that it was cold out, and that Shiro had given him a ride here. He wanted to get out of there. Couldn’t stand the thought of that man staring at him like he was a piece of meat all night. It made something sour settle into the pit of his stomach, even just thinking about going back inside. 

 

There went his plan to steal all of that food. 

 

“Keith, Come on. At least call a cab or something. You’re going to freeze if you try to walk the whole way home. Or let me take you home,” Shiro insisted, already moving to follow after Keith, a worried expression furrowing his eyebrows. 

 

“Don’t worry about it,” Keith said quickly, shaking his head and zipping the jacket up fully, “It’ll only take like an hour to walk.”   
  
“No. Get in the car,” Shiro said firmly, tugging the keys out of his pocket and hitting the autostart. It was obviously not a fight that he was going to win. Keith could see the car starting up across the parking lot, letting out a slow breath and finally giving in. 

 

“Fine…” He huffed under his breath, frowning a little as he headed over towards the other man’s car. They both settled down into it, and Shiro sent Adam a quick text before they took off. 

 

There were a few minutes of awkward silence where Keith just stared out the window at the passing city lights, until it got darker. He knew they were getting close to his apartment, and he let out a slow breath, trying to get himself to relax. 

 

“Is Adam going to be mad that you’re leaving him there by himself?” Keith asked after a moment, glancing over towards Shiro briefly.    
  
“He’ll be fine.”    
  
There’s a long moment of silence. Keith nods a little, swallowing thickly and looking away. Shiro seemed… upset. With him? He hoped that walking out like that wouldn’t cause any troubles for the other man at work. The last thing he wanted was to be any more trouble than he knew he already was. 

 

“Tell me what happened. What made you run out like that?” Shiro’s voice suddenly cut through the silence and tension, making Keith jolt a little in surprise. He hesitated a long moment, before speaking up a little. 

 

“He just made me really uncomfortable. And he had that whole… ‘I’m better than everyone else’ vibe,” Keith finally mumbled, shrugging his shoulders a little and shifting a little in his seat, “He rubbed me the wrong way, and I just didn’t want to be around him,” he lied, tucking a bit of hair that had fallen out of his ponytail behind his ear. 

 

“Mmh..” Shiro simply hummed, letting out a slow, deep breath and pulling into the parking lot of Keith’s apartment building. The smaller man fidgeted a little, teeth catching at his lower lip and chewing at it slightly as he glanced towards the upper floor- at his door. He had to say something… he didn’t like how quiet Shiro was being, and that slight downturn to his lips… was he upset?

 

“I’m sorry, Shiro. It just-”   
  
“Keith, it’s alright. Really. I understand,” Shiro cut him off, looking over at him and giving him the faintest hint of a smile, “Why don’t you just head inside and relax? I’ll text you tomorrow, okay?” Keith hesitated a moment before he nodded, starting to unzip Shiro’s jacket so that he could tug it off. The other man’s hand rested over his before he could get it off, shaking his head a little and giving Keith a look he couldn’t quite read.   
  


“Why don’t you hang on to that for a bit?” He suggested. Keith blinked slowly, surprised. He nodded after a long moment, though, breathing out slow and dropping his hands away from the zipper.    
  
“You’re sure?” He breathed, and Shiro nodded. Well… At least he didn’t seem all that upset anymore...

 

“Told you. Gotta spoil you every once in a while. You won’t let anyone else do it.”

 

\----------

 

Keith wakes up the next morning on his couch with a pounding headache and an ache in his ribs. He has to take a moment to remember who he even is, let alone where he’s at and what happened the night before.    
  
He remembers the brief twenty or so minutes he was at Shiro’s work party- Remember’s the predatory gaze of his ‘older brother’s’ boss. Remembers Shiro bringing him home, climbing up the stairs and into his apartment. Going straight to the kitchen and- Oh.    
  
He drank last night. That’s why his head hurts. Hangover. But his ribs…   
  
Oh, Fuck. Keith fell asleep in his binder. That’s why everything feels so tight.    
  
He lets out an little huff, annoyed with himself, and wrestles himself out of the sweater Shiro had picked out for him the night before. It pools onto the floor, his binder soon following it as he simply lays back on the couch face down, his upper half bare, though his chest is pressed into the couch cushion itself. He can’t bring himself to care that he’s literally tits out in the living room of his apartment right now, trying to build up the mental strength to even bother moving anytime soon. 

 

Keith lets out a slow breath, shifting a little to tug one of the couch pillows closer to rest on it, propping himself up as he digs his phone out of his pockets and checks through his notifications. A couple of the usual texts from Shiro, a few new comments on his videos. Nothing too out of the ordinary. But he’s got like twenty minutes before his usual start time on his daily streams.    
  
He cursed, forcing himself up and padding into the kitchen to grab some painkillers. Can’t miss a day of ‘work’. Keith showers quicker than he probably ever has, pulling his hair back and settling into his usual set up, the routine welcome after the craziness of the night before. 

 

Within ten minutes Keith’s got everything set up and ready to go, doodling a little drawing to apologize for starting late. There aren’t many people actually watching yet, though, so at the very least he’s not being hunted down with pitchforks and torches. He sighs and takes a sip of the tea he made before sitting down. It’s still hot, but it tastes so good that he can’t resist taking a big gulp of it, before setting it aside and braving through his slightly burnt tongue. 

 

He’s working on something new today, a bit of a guilty pleasure piece for himself. He’s actually got his camera on, his phone playing one of Blue’s videos as he purposefully starts to sketch the other man out on a piece of paper. The camera is really only focused on his desk, so all that the people watching can see is his hands and a bit of space around the paper.

 

He ends up sketching Blue out a few separate times, watching one of his videos closely to try and get down just how his hair parts, and the trying to match the way his eyes usually seem to sparkle like sunlight hitting the ocean’s surface when he smiles. He spends a good couple of hours doodling Blue in different views, or different poses.

 

When Keith moves to his computer, he’s got a great idea in mind, opening up his art program and switching the stream over to show his desktop, starting to sketch out a pretty rough little storyboard.    
  


It’s been a long time since he’s tried animating anything, really, but he’s got it stuck in his mind that he wants to animate a clip from one of Blue’s videos, his hands practically itching to draw out the little tufts of his hair, or that smug little grin that’s just trapped,  _ taunting  _ him with the slightest flash of pearly whites..    
  
He’s so into what he’s doing that he’s barely even reading the chat, just glancing over every few seconds to make sure no one is saying something inappropriate, or being a general dick. 

 

Keith’s halfway through doing some basic coloring on his rough little animation when a particular message catches his eyes, one that practically makes his heart start pounding, feeling like the organ had jumped up into his throat and lodged itself there. 

  
**CubanBlueSniper: Hey, You know my eyes are more blue than grey, right?** ****  
  
What. What the Fuck. Why is Blue watching his stream!?


End file.
